Fate's Choices: Part 1
by blacktears
Summary: Hermione considers her changing relationship with Ron and Harry. Slash.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc don't belong to me-they belong to JK Rowling. Don't sue me.   
  
Note: This is the first slash story I've posted (thanks Heath for giving me the courage to actually post it rather than let it rot hidden away like so much of my work!) It's also one of the few serious stories I've posted. If you don't like the thought of male-male relationships, read no further than this. And, please, don't tell me that it's disgusting because it IS a way of life, it IS natural and no one has the right to judge what other people enjoy. And sorry about the spelling mistakes, which there are in abundance. Thanx. ~Harmony~   
  
  


###  Fate's Choices 

  


#####  Part 1

  
  
  
Hermione Granger lay on her back and laughed at the world. Not that she found anything funny-she was rather pissed at Fate's impecable sense of irony, but what else could she do? Just when she had got up the to ask Ron Weasly-her friend and the guy she had a crush on-out, he and Harry had to come out of the proverbial closet about being gay and a couple. Oh yes, Fate was definately pushing it with that one.   
  
"Hermione?" Harry poked his head into the room, his eyes roaming until he found where she was lying down. He didn't know-of course....neither he nor Ron knew about the plans they had spoiled or why Hermione had suddenly withdrawn into herself. "Are you all right?" Harry asked, concerned as always. "I heard laughing..."   
  
"Oh run along to your boyfriend, Harry, and let me curse life on my own..." Hermione wanted to say, but instead she glanced at her long time friend and nodded. "I'm fine."   
  
"Okay," Harry said, giving her a last odd look before changing the subject. "Are you gonna come to dinner? It's Dumbledore's birthday feast after all..." He grinned.   
  
"I'll go down in a few minutes, just let me change." Hermione said with a sigh.   
  
Harry grinned and nodded and slipped out of her room.   
  
After her dark haired friend had left, Hermione let out another sigh and closed her eyes-but only for a minute. It was, after all, Dumbledore's birthday, and the feast was not to be ignored. She got up and slipped on her best robes before heading down to the Hall.   
  
***   
  
Hermione was unsurprised to find the Great Hall aready crowded when she got there. She wove her way through young witches and wizards over to the Griffindor table. As she neared Ron stood up and waved her over, grinning happily. She hesitated as she watched the tall boy sit back right hand held firmly in Harry's left. For a moment Hermione felt a stab of resentment towards her friends-she wanted to hold Ron's hand and get that look.   
  
Hermione shook the thoughts away with a shake of her head and made her way over to where the two boys had saved her a seat-beside Ron.   
  
"Hey, Hermione," Ron said grinning at her.   
  
Hermione forced a smile in return. "Hey," Her voice sounded subdued-even to herself. Though Ron's expression grew thoughtful and somewhat remote-not unlike Harry's had been in her room-he said nothing else, for Dumbledore began to speak and his attention was pulled to that.   
  
Like the other students in the hall, Hermione turned her head to look at the great wizard, but her mind would not still and the words meant nothing to her. She was overly consiouside her-and even worse, Harry beside him. Why did things have to turn out this way? Why had she waited so long?   
  
A clatter brought the young witch from her thoughts. The speach was over and the zealous students were tearing into the food. Hermione blinked a few times then clowly reached for a roll, missing the worried look that passed between Ron and Harry.   
  
For the rest of the meal, Hermione concentrated on eating-she didn't want to think about anything else because she knew what it'd be. Her silence and hooded eyes worried her friends, but so out of it was she that she didn't even notice.   
  
Harry left the table shortly before dinner was done-there was to be a Quidditch match and he had to get ready. Hermione stonily ignored the kiss he and Ron exchanged before he bounded away, ignoring even Malfoy's jeers.   
  
Once his boyfriend had left, Ron turned to Hermione. "Whats wrong?" He asked after tapping his friend on the shoulder to grab her attention.   
  
Hermione glanced up at the redheaded boy, surprised. "What?" She asked, mopping up some gravy with a piece of bread. "nothing."   
  
Ron's eyebrows raised and he cocked his head to one side in disbelief. "It's me and Harry, isn't it?" Hermione remained silent and Ron sighed. "You aren't comfortable with the fact that we're together."   
  
Hermione shook her head, denying it automatically. She would not, COULD not tell him the truth. "No," she said. "It just....I just need time to get used to it, thats all."   
  
Ron gave his friend and odd look and changed the subject. He'd have a talk with her later-when Harry was around. "Want to walk down to the field with me?"   
  
Hermione shook her head. "No," she stood, as did her wizard friend. "I have too much homework to do, I'm not going to go." She left him standing there before he could react.   
  
Hermione rarely used homework as an excuse-a downright excuse. She didn't have any homework that night-and Ron probably knew it-but she wanted to be alone, to sort through her thoughts.   
  
She headed back to the Griffindor tower and her room. She didn't bother to turn on a light, just sat in the dark and thought. Ron's words kept haunting her: "You aren't comfortable with the fact we're together." Could it be true? Did she really see them as different because of their dating. She hoped not-but she feared that she was.   
  
She went to sleep that night with those thoughts in her head, and her dreams were haunted with her own prejudice.   
  
  


**To Be Continued.**


End file.
